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Secret emails have revealed health officials pleaded with former premier Gladys Berejiklian and her health advisers to lock down Greater Sydney earlier.
The city entered its mammoth four-month lockdown on June 26, but two days earlier a NSW Health official from the Hunter region emailed Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant telling her restrictions were 'certainly required'.
The official referenced the many traces of Covid-19 that had been found in sewage around the outskirts of Sydney spreading from nearly 80km away im Wollongong to Castle Hill.
At the time, it was widely thought the outbreak was centred primarily in Sydney's eastern suburbs after a Bondi taxi driver became patient zero.
Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian locked Sydney down on June 26, and has received criticism over the delay in enforcing restrictions
A health official from NSW's Hunter region emailed Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant on June 24 - two days before the lockdown - saying a city-wide lockdown was required
'This is another indication of how widespread the distribution of cases is – I think we are now clearly behind the virus and a Greater Sydney lockdown is certainly required,' they wrote on June 24.
Restrictions were brought in on that date and a day later lockdowns were imposed on those who lived or worked in LGAs of concern including Waverly, Randwick, the City of Sydney and Woollahra.
But it wasn't until June 26 that the entire city was put under strict stay-at-home orders.
The outbreak began on June 16 and was linked to an airport limo driver from Bondi but
